Kené (meaning ‘design’, ‘enclosure’ and ‘path’,) is a type of artistic expression performed mostly by women from the Shipibo-Konibo community. According to Shipibo-Konibo narratives, women learned how to create their own designs by copying them from the body of a divine woman known as ‘Inka’: a concept which in Shipibo-Konibo language means ‘celestial’. The art of Kené expresses both the symmetry and asymmetry of the cosmic order, passing from the invisible to the visible world. To uncover this immaterial world covered by the Kené, it is needed to establish contact through the form of ritual.
Kené would be applied to all artefacts like clothing, ceramics, utensils, or the wooden posts of houses. During parties, people would usually paint their faces with Kené, and the men would have their arms covered and smoke tobacco with pipes decorated with Kené.
The patterns are an ongoing dialogue with the spiritual world and the powers of the rainforest, the rivers and the skies. The designs thus not only serve the purpose of ornamentation and decoration, they represent an entire communication system with plant spirits. While each piece is coming from the imagination of the individual, they are also based on the collective consciousness of the whole Shipibo tribe.
Dimensions (approximate):
bracelet 20cm x 6cm (fastened)
necklace 17.5cm x 7.5cm, 24cm (neck drop)
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The Shipibo-Konibo are recognized worldwide for their rich artistic tradition, which has also been a source of inspiration for contemporary Peruvian art. Their kené designs, characterized by geometric figures and original strokes, were declared cultural heritage of the nation in 2008.
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